Amid talks of ex-minister Ramesh Jarkiholi's disenchantment with the state BJP and speculations that he may leave the party, BJP general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh held a closed-door meeting with the sugar baron at Belagavi on Sunday. The meeting is being seen as an attempt to assuage the latter, a money bag representing the Valmiki community. “He will play an important role in fighting elections (next year),” Singh had told reporters after the meeting. Jarkiholi was among the first to abandon the Congress-JD(S) coalition government back in 2019, and had reluctantly stepped down as the Water Resources minister in March last year after a sleaze video surfaced. The woman in the video also filed a case of sexual assault against him. Sources said the Gokak legislator was in touch with JD(S) leadership. The BJP is wary that he can take Athani MLA Mahesh Kumtahalli along if he jumped the ship as the latter had joined the BJP with him after severing ties with the Congress three years ago. Jarkiholi's alleged role in the victory of his brother Lakhan Jarkiholi as an independent MLC from Belagavi local body constituency.
